Juvenile Diabetes (also known as Type 1 Diabetes) is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system essentially attacks the pancreas and eliminates the beta cells that are responsible for producing insulin. Therefore the body either stops making insulin, or the insulin is destroyed before it can effectively enter the bloodstream and metabolize blood glucose.
Currently, the only effective treatment for Juvenile Diabetes is injected insulin. People with Juvenile Diabetes must inject insulin into their fatty tissue on a regular basis to control their blood sugar levels. While people with Type 2 Diabetes can sometimes control blood sugar levels with oral medications, diet and exercise, people with Juvenile Diabetes have to take insulin.
Although there is no cure for Juvenile Diabetes at present, there seems to be a great deal of buzz in the media and in research circles lately about a cure. Several promising breakthroughs have been reported recently, ranging from alternative drug therapy to beta-producing stimulants to various forms of transplantation.
A study published in "Endocrine Practice," a peer-reviewed journal, revealed that scientists at CureDM isolated a peptide that repeatedly stimulated new islet production in several preclinical trials. The Human ProIslet Peptide (HIP) is responsible for regenerating pancreatic islets and has been isolated using the human genome. Studies on diabetic animals confirmed that this peptide indeed stimulated new beta cell islet production and clinical trials are soon to follow.
Cure news spread fast a few months ago when two Leukemia drugs effectively caused diabetic mice to go into permanent remission. Gleevec and Sutent suppressed the immune response in Juvenile diabetic mice that caused their bodies to destroy their own insulin-producing cells. "This study opens up a new area of research in the field of type 1 Diabetes, and importantly, opens up exciting opportunities for developing new therapies to treat this disease and other autoimmune diseases," stated Dr. Arthur Weiss of University of California, San Francisco, who worked on the research.
Though still the answer of last resort, some people have had success with pancreas transplants and even islet transplantation. Research is still continuing in these two areas, because while islets and the pancreas can be transplanted, the immune system activity that is responsible for destroying beta cells may still be active. While a few people have reported no longer needing insulin after transplantations, the evidence is not ample enough to suggest that transplantation may provide an ultimate cure for Juvenile Diabetes.
While only five to ten percent of the 200+ million people with Diabetes have Juvenile Diabetes, that is still at least twenty million people worldwide. And while many people who have had Juvenile Diabetes for decades may say that they've lost hope for a cure, there still exists a lot of hope out there that a cure is imminent. Until that day, with insulin, a balanced diet and exercise, it is possible for people with Juvenile Diabetes to have long and healthy lives.
Currently, the only effective treatment for Juvenile Diabetes is injected insulin. People with Juvenile Diabetes must inject insulin into their fatty tissue on a regular basis to control their blood sugar levels. While people with Type 2 Diabetes can sometimes control blood sugar levels with oral medications, diet and exercise, people with Juvenile Diabetes have to take insulin.
Although there is no cure for Juvenile Diabetes at present, there seems to be a great deal of buzz in the media and in research circles lately about a cure. Several promising breakthroughs have been reported recently, ranging from alternative drug therapy to beta-producing stimulants to various forms of transplantation.
A study published in "Endocrine Practice," a peer-reviewed journal, revealed that scientists at CureDM isolated a peptide that repeatedly stimulated new islet production in several preclinical trials. The Human ProIslet Peptide (HIP) is responsible for regenerating pancreatic islets and has been isolated using the human genome. Studies on diabetic animals confirmed that this peptide indeed stimulated new beta cell islet production and clinical trials are soon to follow.
Cure news spread fast a few months ago when two Leukemia drugs effectively caused diabetic mice to go into permanent remission. Gleevec and Sutent suppressed the immune response in Juvenile diabetic mice that caused their bodies to destroy their own insulin-producing cells. "This study opens up a new area of research in the field of type 1 Diabetes, and importantly, opens up exciting opportunities for developing new therapies to treat this disease and other autoimmune diseases," stated Dr. Arthur Weiss of University of California, San Francisco, who worked on the research.
Though still the answer of last resort, some people have had success with pancreas transplants and even islet transplantation. Research is still continuing in these two areas, because while islets and the pancreas can be transplanted, the immune system activity that is responsible for destroying beta cells may still be active. While a few people have reported no longer needing insulin after transplantations, the evidence is not ample enough to suggest that transplantation may provide an ultimate cure for Juvenile Diabetes.
While only five to ten percent of the 200+ million people with Diabetes have Juvenile Diabetes, that is still at least twenty million people worldwide. And while many people who have had Juvenile Diabetes for decades may say that they've lost hope for a cure, there still exists a lot of hope out there that a cure is imminent. Until that day, with insulin, a balanced diet and exercise, it is possible for people with Juvenile Diabetes to have long and healthy lives.
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